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Itzahotek
Itzahotek was a warding temple built long ago, its concentric rings and mystic design to funnel power to block an unseen hole between the mortal world and the Realm of Chaos. The dense growth of the Lustrian jungle is periodically marked with great ruins, massive stone edifices that were raised when the world was young. Long abandoned, many of these ancient sites hold powerful secrets -- arcane artefacts or the otherworldly teachings of the Old Ones. Just south of the Scorpion Coast stands the ruins of Itzahotek -- shattered stone blocks and archways that have long since crumbled beneath their own inexorable weight. Yet if enough of the vines and overgrowth could be cut away, closer inspection would reveal some columns that do not fit with the rest of the ruins. Instead of the stone remains of angular ziggurats, a great many of the pylons scattered throughout the jungle resemble billowing flame, frozen into solid crystal. The rent in the veil of separation was made during the Great Catastrophe when Daemons had entered the world in vast numbers. Over the long ages, Itzahotek's central archway, a key feature in plugging the gap, was at last defeated by slow erosion. Even as the surrounding jungle beasts halted to listen to the sound of crashing masonry, ripples in the current of eldritch energy spread out, alarming any sensitive enough to detect them. The Slann awoke from their dream-like slumber, their large amphibian eyes bulging in consternation. They were instantly aware of the disturbance in their geomantic web and what such a calamity would bring. Once again, a crack had opened between realms, allowing raw Chaos to pour into the world. Pillars of blue fire erupted to loom far above the jungle's canopy. Greater Daemons of Tzeentch arrived to circle about the eldritch flames, growing strong in the rich flow of pure magic. Tides of change washed over the verdant forests, causing newly sentient vines to twist in endless knots and mist to congeal into ethereal beings. Hoping to stem the rising peril, the Lizardmen launched a counterattack the size of which had not been seen for a thousand years. Scores of Carnosaurs and entire herds of Stegadons were bound by the Slann, and in the vanguard were so many snakes that the ground seemed to be a slithering carpet. Lord Mazdamundi and the host of Hexoatl marched behind the devastating first wave. Spells of great magnitude were levelled upon both sides and the jungle was blasted apart. The Daemons were at last driven back by the spectres of dead warriors summoned forth by Mazdamundi, which allowed time for the gateway to be closed. In the blackened ruins, the pillars of blue flame were frozen in time, and in their midst, a new protective archway was constructed. Now, hundreds of years later, the Battle of the Blue Flames is little remembered; the jungles has grown to reclaim the scoured lands, although there is an unwholesome taint about the area. The beasts there have a strange aspect and it is said that even the vines writhe with uncanny speed, strangling any creature that tarries too long. Source * : Storm of Magic (supplement) ** : pg. 8 Category:I Category:Lustria